Published by Swiss James on 12 Jun 2008 at 02:47 pm
Xiao Long Xia
The land all around Pudong airport is either reclaimed from the sea, or was farmland.
In fact all (or most) of the security guards and cleaners who work in or around the airport once farmed the land- one minute you’re breaking your back in the sun, the next you’re sat in a control room, asleep in front of a bank of CCTV monitors. Life is sweet.
As with a lot of airports then, the surrounding area has loads of wildlife; there are frogs everywhere, Land Tigers, and now this thing:
It’s a Xiao Long Xia (little lobster) in Chinese, some people call them Crawdaddies in English. They live in freshwater, often rice paddies and are about the size of a baby’s foot.
They’re good eating, at this time of year there are glossy Salmon-pink stacks outside restaurants up and down town.
This is the first live Xiao Long Xia I’ve seen though, it was scuttling along the road at 4am this morning as I finished work. I don’t mind telling you that hey look ‘orrible on a shadowy road at that time at night, at first I thought it was some kind of Scorpion.
I did not, however, scream like a little girl. I screamed like a man.
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Super. Thanks for the nightmares. It’s like it’s inside out.
did you stamp on it after you took the photo?
Kristi- how do you think I felt, at least you can’t hear it shrieking in the photo-
it sounded like when you boil baby mice
“SHHHHHRRRIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEKKK!”
dingle- I put it in my pocket to take home, Emma’s making a nice soup as we speak
excellent, did you snap off all it’s legs so it couldn’t escape?
They’re also called “crayfish” and “crawfish” too – and while I enjoy the Shanghai/Chinese version, for real good crawfish, one must go to Louisana or East Texas and get them done Cajun style. early March – late May is the season. Mmmm.
The reason they’re cooked with so much spice is to hide the mud taste – since they’re bottom feeders.
Is that a big babys foot or a little babys foot?
Oh it’s a crawfish! Those are ridiculously tasty. Just had some in New Orleans last month, but I don’t remember them looking like this.
Bullshit, Fu Mao is the best when it comes to these little suckers. As an added onus they even pullout the intestine for you beforehand.
Wildlife in China that’s not on a plate!
You should have made a documentary; I’m sure there would be federal funding for that kind of thing.
Crouching crayfish, hidden pesticide run-off.
james: when you were in seoul and took the KTX to busan which station did you leave from? Seoul station or the other one? Where do I catch a cab/taxi at Incheon to get to said train station? (thanks.)
are you in Korea right now Angie? I was there this week, we could have met for a beer! Ah well!
I took the KTX from Busan to Seoul yesterday but I haven’t got a clue which station we got off at!
thanks dingle! i would have liked to have a HITE or Cass with ya! (*I’m leaving San Antonio in about 6 hours and won’t arrive in Seoul until 5 pm or so on Saturday . . . )
bozzley- depends on the size of the crawfish / baby
Angie- I think it was Seoul Station but you know I was drinking upwards of 3 bottles of aftershave a day around that time so don’t take my word for it. I think there’s a bus that goes straight from the airport to Seoul Station- it’s a long way though, might be worth taking the subway, but again- caveat f’ing emptor.
kristi- after enjoying the KFC burger I really want to go to New Orleans
R- I was surprised too, if I’d had a video camera though it would’ve been a lot like that bit in Blair Witch where the girl is all snot and tears
Taiko- yeah I hear a lot about that place, Fumin Lu / Maoming Lu right? (hence the name)
“I really want to go to New Orleans”
- the best fast food chain fried chicken place is New Orleans (Popeye’s – and don’t judge by the ones in the Hong Kong airport either – go to one in the US, often found in, uh, economically disadvantaged areas)
- Jacque-Imo’s may have the best fried chicken in the world.
- I love New Orleans
I’ve been to Popeye’s in Seoul, it was rubbish.
I asked for a biscuit (to dunk in my cup of tea) and they gave me some big flour donut thing. With jam!
Ah, yes, Americans and the English. Two cultures seperated by a common language.
(Hint: donuts are sweet and fried)
Common language? The septics don’t talk proper English like what we do, innit!
He James you live in Ji An District and have never been to Fu Mao, what it wrong with you?
It’s a chain now and the branch in your neighbohood is right across the street from Burger King. You can recognize it, because there is always a line of people waiting to get in.
T. – I have a friend that did her thesis on the dispproportionate number of Popeyes, liquor stores and churches in economically disadvantaged areas vs. other areas.
Having never been to Jacque-Imo’s I’ll withhold final judgement, but so far I’ve found Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles to be the best fried chicken in the world. :)
economically disadvantaged areas?
i call them the ghetto, i live in one…
While I am HUGE advocate of Roscoe’s as a native Angeleno, there’s just something a little extra about eating fried chicken in the South. Living in East Texas for 4 years spoiled me for soul food on the west coast (places like Roscoe’s or Aunt Kizzy’s Back Porch or Flint’s Barbeque in Oakland) – it’s just not quite as good.
Jacque-Imo’s is amazing.
As the snow flies
On a cold and gray chicago mornin
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto
And his mama cries
cause if theres one thing that she dont need
Its another hungry mouth to feed
In the ghetto
xiao long xia ,it tastes like a piece of shit! don’t eat them!
Let me ask you a question, koo, how do you know what a piece of shit tastes like?
Ooh – I had these 5 years ago in Shanghai – had no idea what they were or what I ate (can’t speak Mandarin) but would gladly go back to Shanghai in a heartbeat just to eat it again! *sigh* Maybe this year…